UNAM

Residential water use: Marcos Bustos, Luz Ma. Flores, & Patricia Andrade A MODEL OF PERSONAL VARIABLES FOR PREDICTING WATER CONSERVATION BEHAVIOR IN MEXICO CITY Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México FES Zaragoza

Extended range of proenvironmental action   Nowadays, the research of proenvironmental behavior (PEB) is increasing the number of problems of resources conservation that has begun to be analyzed.   The problem of water conservation has emerged as one the most important ecological problems in many regions an cities around the world.

Water comsumption The ways of reducing the comsumption of fresh water in different human uses has became an important task for social researchers. The house is a new endeavor for social sciencies. One important possibility that implies in domestic study of the ways to reduce the comuse

Psychology and the promotion of conservation behavior Some authors in the area of conservation behavior conceive proenvironmental action (PEB) as a group of effective, deliberated, and anticipated actions that result in the protection of environmental resources (Grob, 1990; Corral-Verdugo & Pinheiro, 2004). Other defying characteristics are solidarity and austerity.

Conceptual framework for PEB   Causal Variables (Stern y Oskamp, 1987). It's a jerarquical model that includes variables from sociostructural until psicosocial, personal and behavioral ones.   Applied Perspective (Cook y Berrenberg, 1981). It's a model focused mainly on the promotion of PEB in different alternatives.

Meta-analysis findings (Hines et al. 1986/87) VariableCorrected correlation coefficient Verbal commitment.491 Locus of control.365 Attitude.347 Personal responsibility.328 Knowledge.299 Educational level.185 Income.162 Economic orientation.160 Age-.151 Gender.075

Predictors of water conservation   Values (Pierce, 1979)   Antecedents and responsability (Gordon, 1982)   Motives (Hamilton, 1983)   Acttitudes (Kantola, 1982; Aitken, 1994; Lam, 1999)   Proenvironmental Competency (Corral-Verdugo, 2002)

Objectives   To Construct a model for predicting PEB   Test the model   Identify advantges and disadvantages   Derive Implications

Problem of research   Which is the structural fitness of the model of PEB for water conservation?, The included variables in the model are locus control, beliefs, knowledge, motives, and skills.

Hipotheses   We expect finding positive statistical relationships between: Motives, skills, and PEB ; the motives will mediate effectos of skills, risk perception, and locus of control.   The skills will mediate the effects of beliefs an diponibility of water and Knoeledge.

Research strategie Tipe of study: Correlational, path analysis.

Method  Sample: 349 hosekeepers from Mexico City, M edge = 45 years, highschool, $ 7400 (616 USD).  Procedure: Indivudual interview with scales previuosly validaded and accptable consistency levels.

Results The results were first from a regression analysis. Later a path analysis was conducted.

Goodness of fitness indices   X 2 = 17.1, df =13. p = 0.19   NFI = 0.99   NNFI = 0.99   RMSEA = 0.03

Model

Direct effects on PEB   Motives  PEB ß =.13   I. Skills  PEB ß =.31   D. Skills  PEBß =.12   Internal Locus  PEB ß =.13

Direct Effects between I. V.   I. Skills  Motivesß =.27   Health Risk  Motivesß =.16   Internal Locus  motivesß =.13   Beliefs Ob  I. Skillsß =.21   Internal Locus  I. Skills ß =.17   D. Skills  I. Skills ß =.16   Water Supply  I. Skills ß =.14   Knowledge  I. Skills ß =.11

Total Effects   I. Skills   Internal Locus   D. Skills   Motives PEB Personal use of water

Results Variable R2R2 1Health Risk Beliefs responsabity for conserving water Socioenvironmental Motives D. Skills I. Skills Personal use of water 0.255

Discusion   The statistical relatinships   Hiptheses and explanation   Generality of results   Theorical perspectives, new research problems   Intervetion perspectives

Epilog  New interrogants  Psycosocial interventions  Overcoming problems